


Under the Moonlight

by The Elder Gays (Katanachan)



Category: South Park
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, Secret Identity, Secret Relationship, Stick of Truth AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:28:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26675167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katanachan/pseuds/The%20Elder%20Gays
Summary: As they traveled deeper into the forest, the sounds of civilization dulled until they faded completely and only the gentle rustle of the canopy overhead remained.  The occasional stumble and muffled ‘ow, shit’ from Clyde were the only sounds that broke the spell around them, and Craig felt the tension in his shoulders ease with each well placed step. He had never been suited to city life, had always preferred his own company to bustling streets and the lavish parties he snuck into to rob.  Waltzing under chandeliers was nothing compared to leaping across rooftops by moonlight.That is, until someone gave him a reason to waltz and raced him atop the castle walls.
Relationships: Kenny McCormick/Craig Tucker
Comments: 4
Kudos: 36
Collections: Tales of Zaron - A South Park Zine





	Under the Moonlight

**Author's Note:**

> We're back, and with some new content, no less!
> 
> This is the story that we wrote for The Tales of Zaron zine that wrapped up earlier this year, and now that it's being shipped out, we wanted to post our contribution! 
> 
> Generally we're preeeeetty bad at keeping things short, so this was a fun challenge for us, especially since we kinda went ham on creating lore for this and had to keep it under 2.5k. 
> 
> Buuuuuuut if you folks like it, we can definitely expand on the story because we have way too many ideas for it. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!!!

“I can’t believe it,” Clyde muttered for the umpteenth time against the rim of his tankard, the phrase almost becoming a mantra for the former king since Craig dragged him from the rubble of his fortress a week ago, “of all the people who I thought would betray me…”

“You shouldn’t be so surprised that someone who turned against her entire kingdom did the same to you.” Even if he knew they were true, the words still felt bitter on Craig’s tongue. 

The crease between Clyde’s brows deepened, his eyes narrowing in Craig’s direction, “Don’t act like she didn’t wrong you, too.”

“I’m not,” Craig pulled his gaze away from his untouched tankard and quirked an eyebrow at Clyde, “I’m just going to do something about it instead of whining into my mead.”

“...M’not whining,” Clyde huffed out before downing the contents of his tankard, slamming it back on the table with more force than necessary and drawing several sets of eyes to their corner. He at least had the decency to look sheepish when Craig shot him a disapproving glare. “So what’s the plan Cr-... _Feldspar_?” Clyde whispered, inching closer to where Craig could smell the sharpness of the alcohol on his breath, “You do have a plan, right?”

“The Wizard King,” Craig matched the other’s tone as his eyes darted from patron to patron in the tavern, “he started this war in his quest for power, and if a certain Princess made it out alive, she undoubtedly wants to pay him a visit.”  
  
Clyde hummed quietly at Craig’s side, mulling over this new plan. “Then we can take care of them both at once.”   
  
It was a good plan, even if it wasn’t a complete truth. Because Clyde could still arrange the pieces he’d been given into a picture that would play out in his favor, despite Craig holding back information of his own. Craig had never wavered in his dedication to his King, but that didn’t mean that his only allegiance was to Clyde. 

“Yes,” offering Clyde a small smile, Craig slid his full tankard in front of his best friend and rolled his eyes when the other immediately raised it to his lips, “something like that.” 

Craig knew they were being followed before they entered the tavern and felt a multitude of eyes on their secluded table. The minute they stepped out into the crisp night air was no different. 

While Craig thrived under the shroud of darkness, used each passing shadow to his benefit, he knew as a pair it left them vulnerable and each advantage he gained in the dark could easily be exploited by another. And given the nature of his journey with Clyde, Craig expected to encounter their fair share of enemies. 

Traitors tended to not be in the most favorable standing. 

“Let’s move,” Craig said to his former king, voice low as he ushered the other to take the lead. 

The main roads were too dangerous, and while the forest held its own peril, it was a welcome alternative to being discovered. There were too many soldiers and townsfolk seeking refuge after the battle, the roads weaving toward Kupa Keep packed with caravans of people searching for a new home. Craig knew the last thing the survivors wanted to encounter was a necromancing King and his right-hand man who betrayed their kingdom. 

As they traveled deeper into the forest, the sounds of civilization dulled until they faded completely and only the gentle rustle of the canopy overhead remained. The occasional stumble and muffled ‘ _ow, shit_ ’ from Clyde were the only sounds that broke the spell around them, and Craig felt the tension in his shoulders ease with each well placed step. He had never been suited to city life, had always preferred his own company to bustling streets and the lavish parties he snuck into to rob. Waltzing under chandeliers was nothing compared to leaping across rooftops by moonlight. 

That is, until someone gave him a reason to waltz and raced him atop the castle walls. 

“You’re thinking too loud.”  
  
Craig paused in his trek toward the clearing up ahead, glancing over his shoulder at Clyde heaving himself over a fallen tree trunk. “Is that so?”   
  
“I can’t hear any of this wilderness you kept droning on about over the sound of your thoughts,” dusting off the tattered pants of his disguise, Clyde hobbled away from the log with only a little difficulty, “whoever you’re thinking of must have the tits of a goddess to distract you from your precious _nature_.”   
  
“The world is more than just women and tits,” Craig turned his attention back to the opening in the trees, stepping into the clearing and gazing up at the moon.   
  
“We have two very different views of the world,” Clyde’s voice sounded behind Craig. Shaking his head in exasperation, Craig opened his mouth to reply when he noticed a shift in the air and his hands immediately dropped to the twin daggers at his sides. 

The icy blade pressed to Craig’s throat was unwelcome, but not unexpected. 

“Tweek,” Craig said by way of greeting, feeling the dagger’s owner tense behind him, “out for a late night stroll?” 

The barbarian chuckled over Craig’s shoulder, “I thought you said I’d never best you, _Feldspar_.”

“You haven’t,” keeping his tone even, Craig scanned the area ahead of him, catching sight of Clyde gagged and struggling in Scott’s grasp, “I’m surprised you didn’t wake the whole village with your footsteps. Maybe _quiet_ doesn’t translate well into your tongue.” 

The threat of the metal against Craig’s throat was echoed in Tweek’s words, “I’d be careful about who you insult in your position, thief. You’re already a traitor, but I doubt you’d want to see your precious King harmed because of your arrogance.” 

“Then do it,” Craig stated simply, much to Clyde’s apparent chagrin if his muffled whimper was any indication. After many years of knowing Tweek and his clan, of fighting alongside each other until his recent betrayal, Craig knew he and Clyde were of more use to their former comrades alive than dead. “What use is a King without a kingdom to rule over,” the blade at his throat pulled back a hair before pressing to the skin once more when Tweek let out a low growl, “we’ve already lost the war.”

“And you’re about to lose your _head_ -”

“Enough with the pleasantries,” Token’s voice carried down from his perch in the tree ahead. Stepping off the branch, the rogue leapt into the narrow clearing, his boots stirring the dirt with a dull _thud._ “Feldspar, we know you’re hiding her. Where is she?”

Craig stared down his old friend with bored eyes, “Why would I know where _she_ is?”

A strange expression crossed Token’s face, his deep eyes searching Craig’s for a beat. After a moment he looked away with a frustrated sigh. “Damnit.”

“He doesn’t know?” Scott pulled Clyde into the clearing proper, ignoring the other’s protest as he approached Token, “How can he not know?”

“How _could_ we know?” Clyde spat out, having managed to twist and wriggle enough to loosen the gag, “It’s not as if she told us her plan before she double crossed us all!”

“Don’t you _dare_ act as if you’re a victim,” Tweek rounded on Clyde, untangling himself from Craig and pointing his dagger at the tip of the former King’s nose, “don’t act like the two of you didn’t sentence thousands to die for your sick game.”

“There’s more to it than that,” Craig heard his voice rise above a cry of indignation from Clyde. “Listen. We can explain everything, we just need to get to Kupa Keep, and-”

“No, you listen,” the barbarian took a step toward Craig, venom dripping from his words, “you are coming with us. You will lead us to _her_ , because I don’t for a second believe you don’t know where she is.”

“Well, if _I_ were her,” a voice sounded from the ring of trees surrounding them, “it wouldn’t be too hard to avoid you lot. Yelling in the middle of the night tends to give away your position.” 

A stranger stepped into the clearing, sandy blond hair and purple eyes gleaming in the moonlight and his hands held up in surrender at the number of weapons suddenly pointed in his direction. “Not the most welcoming group, are you?”

“Who the hell are you?” Tweek tossed his dagger into the air, catching the hilt with a threatening flourish. 

Token ushered Tweek to the side, putting on his ever diplomatic front to the new arrival, “What my friend here is trying to say is what business do you have in these woods so late, stranger?”   
  
“McCormick,” the man inclined his head slightly in greeting and adjusted the quiver at his hip, “and from what I’ve overheard, we all have the same goal. That traitorous bitch took everything from me, and I aim to get it back by any means necessary.”

“We aren’t looking to expand our party,” the barbarian’s bright eyes flashed in the dim light, “trustworthy people are in short supply these days.” Craig held back a wince when Tweek gripped his bicep and yanked him toward the opposite edge of the clearing, forcibly tearing Craig’s eyes away from the newcomer.

“Even if I know where she’s headed?”

Tweek halted, turning to stare down McCormick. “And how would you know that?”  
  
McCormick shrugged a shoulder, the bow at his back shuddering at the movement, “I saw her escape the rubble. I followed her for two days before I lost her, but I know where she’s going.”

“Great. Then tell us,” Scott stood straighter, the hand not still holding Clyde resting on the pommel of his sword.   
  
“I’m an asset, not a threat,” McCormick’s lips curved into a kind smile “I have gold and I’m a fantastic shot. Take me with you.”

The distant howl of a pack of direwolves snapped the group back to reality.   
  
“There’s a town maybe half a league from here,” cautiously taking a step closer to the rest of the group, McCormick produced a small pouch, “the innkeeper there asks no questions for the right price.”   
  
Craig could see Token weighing the different outcomes of this situation, his final verdict leading him to nod in agreement. “We head for the inn. And we speak in depth in the morning. Right now we need to move.”

Without another word, Token took the lead, offering Tweek a silent apology as he passed and plunged back into the maze of thick trees. 

Scott guided Clyde ahead of him toward the treeline and stopped in front of Tweek. He watched Craig for a long moment before turning his attention to the barbarian. “We need you to track them for us.”  
  
The grip on Craig’s arm tightened. “I don’t trust either of them, Scott.”

“If either of them care what’s good for them, they’ll know we’re their best bet,” Scott met Craig’s eyes headon, and the thief saw layers of conflicting resentment and friendship battling in his irises. “Otherwise, they belong to the wolves.”

Tweek stood firm as the retreating steps of Clyde and Scott faded into the trees. “Don’t betray my trust again or it will be the last thing you ever do,” he hissed, releasing Craig and stalking to the treeline. He cast a final glare over his shoulder before disappearing with the others into the dense forest ahead, the glint of his dagger the last thing Craig saw of him before Tweek was completely swathed in darkness. 

“Our turn, I suppose,” McCormick said from his sudden position at Craig’s side, and his hand closed around McCormick’s wrist before the young man could take another step further. 

McCormick’s boots scuffed against the forest floor, his head turning with imploring eyes. “What can I do for you?” his violet eyes drifted from Craig’s hand to his face before the smallest smirk quirked his lips, “ _Craig?_ ”

Hearing his name on Kenny’s lips made something in Craig’s chest clench, even if he refused to let an ounce of that feeling show on his face. “What the hell are you doing?”

“If it wasn’t obvious, I have some unfinished business with the Wizard King. I’m clearly here to settle the score and clear my name.” Kenny’s eyes lowered to Craig’s lips briefly before meeting his gaze, taking a step into his personal space. 

“Are you going to out me?” Kenny began, his other hand lifting to walk his fingers up the front of Craig’s cloak. “It isn’t as if I show every thief what’s under my dress. They have no idea who I am unless you tell them.”

Kenny splayed his hand over the thief's heart, and Craig knew Kenny could feel the muscle hammering against his ribs. “Would you tell them Clyde wasn’t the only one you rescued from the rubble? Tell them who I really am?”

“Never,” Craig answered before he realized the word left his lips, and knew he meant it with all that he was. 

Kenny took that last step into his personal space and Craig could feel Kenny’s breath wash over his ear as he whispered, “You love your Princess, _don’t you?_ ”

“It’s hard not to,” Craig’s fingers closed gingerly around Kenny’s hand, rough calluses brushing petal soft skin, “Even if he is a traitorous asshole.”

“ _She_ didn’t want the one person in this god forsaken kingdom she cared about to be mixed up any further in her problems,” Kenny twined their fingers together over Craig’s beating heart. “This is a dangerous road she has to travel, and there would be no worse pain than seeing her thief die because of it.”

“Kenny…”

“I know she’s sorry, but she’d do it all again to keep you safe.”

Craig dipped his head, sealing their lips together, and for the briefest of moments the world shrunk to just the two of them. No war, no final battles or broken promises. Just a thief and the princess who stole his heart. 

“Next time,” Craig murmured into the air between them when they parted, “if there is a next time, tell me. I can help.”

Leaves crunched underneath Kenny’s boots as he backed away, “If this goes the way I hope it will, there won’t be a next time.”

“Promise me,” Craig breathed out, the warmth from Kenny’s lips still burning his own, “Swear it.”  
  
Kenny regarded Craig, pain building behind his eyes, “You don’t know what you’re asking-”

“Swear it.” 

In two steps, Kenny was back in his space, pressing a fevered kiss to Craig’s lips that spoke of years of love and laughter under the moonlight. “I swear,” Kenny gave Craig a parting peck on the lips before shoving him back a step with a well natured scowl, “And you’re an idiot.”  
  
Craig brushed their knuckles together, energy thrumming through his veins as he nodded toward the vast journey ahead of them. “Then we best not lose.”

**Author's Note:**

> Again, if you enjoyed this and would like to see more from this world, let us know!!  
> And if you wanna chat with us on social media, find us @theeldergays on twitter and tumblr


End file.
